asked the Minister for Education if he intends to increase the school children's fares subsidy in (a) Dublin city (b) provincial cities and towns and (c) other provincial areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Children's Fares.
86.
It is not proposed to increase the subsidy in question from its present annual level of £354,000. Recent increases in fares announced by CIE will not appreciably affect fares for school children on its Dublin and provincial city and town services, and most fares will not be increased.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not accept that children in Dublin and in other city areas are entitled to as cheap transport as possible? Contrary to what he thinks the latest increase, together with the one that occurred during the year, can represent a substantial increase for the parents of the children who have to pay it?
No, that is not really the case. The effect of the increase in the case of school children will be that the 2p fare will not be increased, the 3p fare will not be increased, the 4p fare will not be increased. The 5p fare in Dublin will be increased to 6p and the 7p fare will be increased to 9p. Therefore the Deputy will see it is only those travelling long distances on the buses who will be getting any increase in fares. As the Deputy is also aware the object of the school transport service has always been to encourage people to attend their nearest suitable school. It is not likely that many of the children travelling those distances in Dublin, where there is such a concentration of services, would be attending their nearest suitable school.